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Boston Brown Bread (New England Brown Bread)

Boston Brown Bread is a New England classic recipe - this version has raisins, 100% whole grains, no refined sugar, and baked in a loaf pan.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Cooling Time
10 mins
Total Time
55 mins
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 150 kcal
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • butter or cooking spray for greasing the pan
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1/2 cup rye flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup dark molasses
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup raisins golden or regular, or a mix
  • salted butter and baked beans for serving, optional

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan (or for a more authentic version, a 29 oz. coffee can) with a generous amount of butter. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Whisk or stir together the cornmeal (1/2 cup), rye flour (1/2 cup), whole wheat flour (1/2 cup), baking powder (1 teaspoon), baking soda (1 teaspoon), and kosher salt (1 teaspoon) in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add the maple syrup (2 tablespoons), molasses (1/3 cup), milk (1 cup), and vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) to the batter and whisk or stir together until everything is combined.
  4. Add the raisins to the batter and fold in.
  5. Pour batter in prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with foil (so the steam doesn't escape to keep the bread moist).
  6. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge and gently removing it. Cool for 5-10 minutes longer, slice into 10 pieces, and serve slathered with butter with a side of baked beans.

Notes

  • Ingredient substitutions: plant-based milk (for a vegan version), buttermilk, or low-fat milk can be substituted for the whole milk, white flour can be substituted for whole wheat, sugar or honey may be substituted for maple syrup (or syrup omitted), raisins may be omitted or substituted with another dried fruit of choice, such as currants.
  • Brown bread mix may be available in your grocery store- it's rye flour, whole wheat flour, and cornmeal pre-mixed for convenience. You can use 1.5 heaping cups of that if you like instead of the individual flours.
  • Don't be alarmed if the bread collapses in the center. If you use a loaf pan, this might happen, since the batter is very wet and it's steamed while baking. Honestly, it happened to me but I took photos anyway... I just flipped it upside down! It gave it a more authentic "out of a can" look anyway :-)
  • This recipe is adapted from Erin French's New England Brown Bread in The Lost Kitchen cookbook, page 219.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1slice Calories 150kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 32g (11%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 2g (3%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 2mg (1%) Sodium 360mg (15%) Potassium 372mg (11%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 12g (24%) Vitamin A 40IU (1%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 78mg (8%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 150

% Daily Value*

Serving 1slice
Calories 150kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 32g 11%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 2mg 1%
Sodium 360mg 15%
Potassium 372mg 8%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 12g 24%
Vitamin A 40IU 1%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 78mg 8%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.